Bond of Steel: Soto Legends
by ShadowOfTheAuthor
Summary: New adventures and mysteries await in the new Soto Region, as a trainer named Joey looks for his father and a Pokemon called Aron. But in his path stands a diabolical group know as Alpha Squad. Can Joey overcome them? Or will all hope for Soto be lost?
1. Prologue: A Story and A Symbol

A/N: Well, hello there! If you've read my other story, Pokeville, then you should know me. If you don't... Well then I'll re-introduce myself. My name is gl1m0, and this is a story that I came up with alongside the other one I'm currently writing. So now, I'll be writing chapters for both stories in an alternating fashion, so that way it's even. Now about the story, it's called Bond of Steel: Soto Legends, and it is a typical adventure story but with a completely new region, new Pokemon, and more. ^_^ I'll try to be as descriptive as I can about the new Pokemon, but someday I'll show you some art and whatnot and maybe that will help you get a feel for them. But for now, try to make do without it. This first few chapters are mostly just intros and prologue and bleck, but I promise things will start ramping up once those are out of the way. Well, enough of my babbling, just enjoy the story! :)

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Pokemon. The Pokemon trademark belongs to Nintendo Co, GameFreak, and any other people it may be associated with. The new region (Soto), new Pokemon, and certain characters of the story were conceived by either me or close friends. Any similarities to existing assets (characters, locations, events, etc.) are not intended and entirely coincidental.

* * *

_Soto. A region unlike any other. The casual observer may notice right away that the region is heavily mountainous, and very underdeveloped when compared to other regions, matched only in its desolation by the arid and rocky neighboring region Orre. The only obvious area of civilization is the majestic Amethyst City, a shining jewel nestled in the center of the region. _

_But if you were to look very closely, you would also see a tiny town, almost overcome by the wilderness surrounding it. And in this town lives a small boy, of no more than 5 years of age. He would not realize it yet, but his story is only now beginning. And the fact that his story, is our story._

* * *

"C'mon daddy!" Joey squealed, "Can you _please_?"

Joey's father sighed and shook his head. "It's way past your bedtime sport!" He said, "Your mom will have a fit if you don't get enough sleep."

Joey started to plead, "But I can't sleep! Just _one_ more story, PLEASE?"

"Sigh... Alright, just one more, okay?" Joey's father said.

"Yay!" Joey cheered happily.

"Now... Which one do you want me to read?" Joey's father said, walking over to the nearby bookcase.

"Ooh! Ooh! How about the Soto Legands one?" Joey said, still excited.

"Haha, you mean Soto _Legends_? Sure, why not. Now come on and get into bed so I can read it to you!"

Joey rushed over to his bed and climbed on it, before burying himself under the covers. His father came to the bedside and sat on the end, book in hand.

Joey started bouncing up and down in excitement. "This story is my most favoritest! Read it now! Go-go-go-go-go-go-"

"Now hold up there Joey," his father said, "Calm down sport, I can't read it if you're bouncing around like that."

Joey stopped bouncing and slid himself under the covers some more, still brimming with excitement.

His father opened the book to the chapter '_The Original One',_ cleared his throat, and began reading.

"_Eons ago, in a land far away, there was a place, where the ground was green with grass, and the mountains that tower above it were capped with bright white snow. The land was lived in by Humans and Pokémon, who all lived in peace and harmony. They worshiped a Pokémon that had created this land, many millennium ago. The Pokémon was known as the ORIGINAL ONE, and was revered as a god by the Humans and Pokémon of this peaceful landscape."_

"_But one day, a terrible disaster befell the land. The ORIGINAL ONE's enemy, a Pokémon known as the DARK ONE, unleashed a fury of fire to the land. Upon the fires touching of the ground, the land was burned away to cinders. And yet, the DARK ONE felt this was not enough to torment Humanity, and sent a great meteor to ravage the land. But the ORIGINAL ONE knew of the meteor, and set out to destroy it to save Human and Pokémon alike. He managed to stop the meteor, just above Ceres Island off of the waters edge." _

"_A dear cost it was. The ORIGINAL ONE was greatly injured from the meteor, and a portion of Ceres Island was destroyed. But the land had survived, although ravaged. The ORIGINAL ONE's injuries were very severe, and it seemed He would perish from them. The Humans and Pokémon, in eternal generosity of being saved, helped the ORIGINAL ONE recover from His injuries. The ORIGINAL ONE was impressed at their caring and sacrifice, and so decided to appear before them." _

"_The ORIGINAL ONE bestowed a magical orb to Humans and Pokémon, which He told them that the land the land would be healed with it. 'Take this ORB OF LIFE and keep it safe,' He said. 'As long as you possess it the land will be green once more.' The Humans and Pokémon obeyed His direction, and built a temple to the ORIGINAL ONE, storing the Orb within. A miracle occurred, the land once again became green with grass, and Human and Pokémon alike were eternally grateful. To this day, the region remains green and peaceful. May it forever be so. The End._"

Joey's father closed the book and sighed. "Okay, there you go. Are you satisfied now?" He said with a smile.

"Yes daddy." Joey said, giggling a bit, " I'm feeling pretty much sleepy now..."

Joey's dad laughed. "Of course you are, Joey. Now get some rest now, will you?"

Joey yawned. "Okay daddy, wherever you say."

"Heheheh... That's better. Now listen, I'm gonna go with your friend John's dad off on a little 'adventure', okay?"

"An adventure?" Joey said, rising up from his bed a bit, "You're goin' on an adventure! Oh, I wish I can come too..."

"Don't worry, don't worry Joey," Dad said reassuringly, "One day, when you're older, I'll take _you _on an adventure, okay? And you'll get to see what kind of cool stuff is out there, alrighty?"

Joey sighed with slight disappointment but smiled and said, "Okay daddy, I'll wait."

Dad nodded. "Right then, it's a promise. Now, good night then. I'll be gone for a while, but I'll be back soon, okay?"

Joey lay back onto the bed, then said, "I'll miss you daddy..."

Dad breathed deeply. "I'll miss you too, Joey."

He walked across the room to the staircase, then started walking down it. Dad looked behind him at Joey in his bed. "Good night Joey, I'll see you later." "'Night daddy... See you later..."

"..."

"... I love you..."

"... I do too, Joey. I really do. And so does your Mom."

Joey's dad headed down the stairs in their little country home, into the kitchen area where Mom and John's father (who had just entered) were.

"Hey, Bill." Joey's father said to their visitor.

"Evenin', Jason." Bill said in response.

Jason nodded. "So, are you ready to head out, then?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, boy."

"You sure Bill? Said goodbye to the missus and all that?"

"Already done and done. I also packed all them supplies we'll need."

Jason nodded in understanding, "Good then." He then turned to his wife, "Honey, we're ready to leave now. Please take care of everything while we're gone, won't you please sweetie?"

"Oh Dear..." Mom said, hugging Jason. "Please be careful, okay?"

"Don't worry, it's only a simple expedition, won't take anything more than a week or two. Maybe a month at the very most. And we'll be together the whole way, so you have got nothing to worry about."

"I know, I know... But... I can't shake that nagging feeling that... that... something bad will happen..."

"It'll be okay, I'll call often, okay? Will that make you feel better?"

Mom smiled. "Yes... yes that would. I'm sure little Joey will appreciate it too."

"Okay then, it's a deal. No... it's a promise." Jason said, and smiled back.

They both exchanged a quick kiss, then Jason and Bill left out through the front door, waving goodbye.

"Bye honey, I love you." Jason said as he left.

"Love you too honey... And good luck..." Mom replied right as the front door was shut.

Jason and Bill walked out the front yard of the house, before walking out onto the main road that ran through the small and quiet village known as Littlebud Town.

"Y'know Bill, I'm really wonderin' about whether or not we'll find that supposed 'treasure of legend'. I mean, it _is_ just a story, so..."

"Jason, ya really have to stop being so naïve. I mean, we found proof, didn't we? That there amulet we found in the cove proves it!"

"I suppose you're right," Jason replied, as he took said amulet out of his pocket. It was a slightly tarnished circle-shaped amulet of silver... or was it steel? He could not tell. In the center was a cut-in symbol that resembled a large A. It was the ancient symbol of Alpha. "This amulet had to have been made. By the ancient monks of Soto perhaps."

"Hey, speakin' of which, they say there's another one of those out there like this, but it has the letter Omega instead of Alpha. Do ya think they're connected?"

"Maybe not... maybe so..." Jason replied, as he stuffed the amulet in his pocket, and continued on his journey with Bill.

As they left, Joey watched out his window as his dad and John's dad left Littlebud Town.

"Bye dad... I hope you come back soon..." He said quietly, then crawled into his bed and went to sleep.

* * *

A/N: The prologue is done! But what is the meaning of the amulets? The story of 'Soto Legends'? And where are Jason and Bill going? It's anyone's guess at this point. Bond of Steel: Soto Legends will hold many mysteries, and this is actually just one of them. The next chapter will take a bit of a fast-forward, but I will be sure to explain what happens after Joey's father leaves in the future. Not now, but soon, when it becomes clear that it's connected to the story in a huge way. Until next time... When Chapter 2 comes...

Fare thee well!

-gl1m0


	2. Five Years Later

A/N: Chapter 2 is up now! :) I admit that the intro prologue was a little cut-and-dry, but the action will soon heat up, I assure you. I'll be introducing a couple Fakemon in this chapter also (or at least mention them. More details in the ending A/N). Again, it's mostly introduction, but without those you can't really get a base to stand on, know what I mean? :-/ Anyway, go ahead and read onward. Oh, and please review, too!

* * *

**5 YEARS LATER...**

_Five years has passed since Joey's dad Jason and John's dad Bill had left on an expedition. They never came back. Or were ever heard from again._

_During the months after they seemingly vanished, Joey, John and their mothers tried every possible means of finding them. But Soto is a big, nay, a huge region. With the only enforcement groups consisting of a small band of Pokemon Rangers, combing the entire region became a monumental task. They just couldn't handle it. And as such, the missing men were presumed to be dead._

_Joey was devastated. For weeks on end he would cry and wail and carry on, whilst his mother simply sat by and mourned the loss in her usual, quiet manner._

_As the years passed, Joey gradually accepted his dad's loss, and his friend John accepted his as well. John never really got along with his father a whole lot, so it was easier on him. But Joey was a much different matter. He would hang on to his inner sadness for a long time._

_Until at last, the time for moving on in the world would come._

* * *

On one particular dawn during the spring time, Joey, a somehat thin boy with brown hair and gray eyes, slept soundly as a gathering of people assembled in the kitchen below. Unbeknownst to Joey, today was his tenth birthday. Funny, as he had completely forgotten about it.

Mom stood downstairs in the kitchen as their guests (the only guests unfortunately, as Littlebud Town is rather bare), Joey's best friend, John, and his mother.

"Where is the birthday boy now, Patti?" John's mom asked, "Is he still sleeping or something?"

Patti sighed. "Yes, he has a tendency to stay up late at night reading stories and the like, so he always sleeps in. I'll go wake him."

John, a blond-haired boy wearing a red buttoned wool sweater and dull green jeans, was estatic about the party. Today, oddly enough, is his birthday as well, so no wonder he was so excited.

"C'mon! Go wake up Joey already, I wanna have some cake!" John nearly shouted, apparently wanting to lessen the wait for consuming delicious pastry otherwise known as cake.

"Be quiet, John!" John's mother hissed, "We're in a little place called indoors thank you."

"Sorry mum..." said John apologetically.

Patti walked up the stairs into Joey's bedroom. It was already obvious that the room was wearing out and getting too small for Joey. There was clutter here and there, books shoved messily into a bookcase (some were on the floor of course), and to cap it off, Joey's pet, Hamtric, was sleeping cutely among a pile of fresh laundry, still in the basket.

Hamtric is a furry, small and affectionate electric-type Pokemon that is suited for domestic life, as a pet. It looks like a hamster or gerbil, but about six inches long, with light-yellow and tan fur, beadier eyes, and large, spiky ears that it uses to discharge electricity (or cover its eyes if in fear).

As Patti came up the stairs, the little Gerbil Pokemon sprung awake. "Ham! Ham!" It squeaked in surprise, but when it saw the disturbance was from its master's mother, Hamtric calmed down.

"Good morning Hammy," Patti said with a broad smile, "Guess what? Joey's birthday is today."

"Tric! Hamtric!" Hamtric squealed in excitement.

"Aww, so cute, as always." She turned to Joey's bed. "Joey! Get up sweetheart!"

Joey didn't stir. She called again. And again. Nothing.

Patti smiled a bit mischieviously. "Oh Hammy, why don't you give my little Joey a wake up gift for his special day?"

A devilish little smirk spread across Hamtric's cute face. "Ham!" It squeaked, nodding.

Hamtric, in one swift motion, jumped atop the bed which Joey was sleeping in, and released a pulse of static electricity from its ears that made the bed's occupant leap into the air in shock, which in turn threw Hamtric off the bed as well.

"Eeeyah!" Joey shreiked as he jumped from the bed onto the floor, sending a few books to the floor as well. The electic pulse didn't hurt, it simply startled the heck out of Joey. Thankfully, his fall was absorbed by the large number of clothing strewn on the floor.

His mom giggled. "Mornin' sleepyhead. Guess what today is?"

Joey rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and yawned. "Not sure. And also, do you _have_ to use my own Pokemon against me?" He said, then turned too his pet. "Shame on you, Hamtric!"

"Ham..." the Pokemon sighed, slightly downcast about being scolded.

Patti shrugged. "Well dear, I swear that you sleep like a Slakoth sometimes, hardly ever moving except occasionally scratching."

"Oh come on mom," Joey said, rolling his eyes, "I do no-"

"You do too. Do you remember that one time a few months ago? I tried to shake you awake, and you just started flailing around your arms around and knocked my glasses off! Then went right back to sleep! See what I mean?"

Joey was silent. "No comment... So anyways what day is today?"

"You honestly don't remember? It's your tenth birthday dear!"

"Wait... what? I forgot my own birthday _AGAIN_?"

Patti sighed. "You're so buried in those books of yours. I mean just look at them! Keep at this for a few more years and you'll be up to your knees!"

"But I can't help it, mom!" Joey pleaded, "I love reading about legends and treasures and stuff like that."

"I can see that. Obviously your father's taste for adventure and mysteries rubbed off on you." Patti said.

Joey thought about his father. Five years ago he left with his friend's dad on an adventure. He could still remember the night he left, the last time Joey saw him.

"...He still owes me an adventure of my own. He promised... But now... I don't know..." Joey said quietly, and he started to get teary-eyed and cried a little.

"Hamtric..." The little electric gerbil cried softly, and it snuggled up on Joey's lap.

"Thanks Hamtric... You'll always be my best friend..." said Joey, wiping away his tears.

Patti sat down beside her son and comforted him. "There there, it's no good to be so sad on your special day! You're ten! Double digits! Don't you know that today you'll be recieving your Trainer Cards? Then you can journey around with your Pokemon! You should be happy!"

It may already be common knowledge, but whenever a boy or girl turns ten, then they recieve a Trainer Badge that authorizes them to train Pokemon and compete against the Gym Leaders to obtain Pokemon League Badges, and when all eight of a region is collected then said Trainer may challenge the Elite Four for the position of Champion of that region.

Joey almost swooned at the thought. He nearly forgot that was a perk of being ten. He had heard rumors of the Soto Gym Leaders. Many of them were old, but experienced. Recently, the leaders of Scarlet City and Wingtip Town were replaced with younger, but still tough Leaders.

_I have to fight them? _Joey thought, _Well, at least I have a slight chance..._

"Joey!" Patti shouted, startling him from his deep thought, "Forgetting something? Your friend and his mom are waiting downstairs!"

Joey sat for a moment without doing anything, then came to his senses. "Huh? Oh! Y-Yes mum! I'm coming!" He said, then went to put on his clothes.

Patti went downstairs while Joey put on his daytime clothing, and slipped on his red and gray jacket. As he went to go downstairs, he motioned for his Hamtric to follow. "C'mon Hamtric, let's go do this party thing." He called to it.

"Ham Ham!" It cried in response, and it and Joey walked down the stairs into the kitchen, where everyone was waiting.

"There you are Joey!" Patti called out as he entered the room.

"The birthday boy is awake at long last! My oh my the boy loves sleepin' don't he?" John's mother chimed.

John started bouncing off his seat in anticipation. "About time Joey! For a minute there, I figured I would have to eat that cake all by myself! Hahaha!" He said quickly, and laughed.

"John!" His mother snapped, "This is Joey's party too, not just yours, so you can afford to wait for him!"

"Sorry mum... I just love cake is all..."

"Oh, don't slam the poor kid Minerva, he is who he is after all." Patti said.

Minerva sighed. "I suppose that's true, but he should know better."

Patti shook off the thought and turned to her son. "Joey, come and sit down here by your friend and we can get started, okay?"

"M'kay, mom." Joey replied quickly, and he went and took a seat next to John at the kitchen table. Hamtric followed, hopping up onto its master's lap.

John turned to Joey, and whispered to him, _"I'm like, SO psyched man, I can't wait until we get to be Pokemon Trainers!" _His eyes started to sparkle with wonder, _"Wow... Pokemon Trainers... And one day I could be the best ever!" _

_"YOU be the best ever?" _Joey whispered back, scoffing,_ "That's a stretch! I'LL be the best ever!"_

_"No, me!"_

_"Wrongo, it's gonna be me!"_

_"Me!"_

"Me!"

"ME!"

"Okay that's enough you two," Patti said, sighing.

Joey and John both shut up, and Hamtric just let out a tiny sigh of exasperation.

Patti got up and went into another nearby room, but soon came back with four boxes, two large and two small. She placed one of each sized box in front of both Joey and John. "These," She began, "Are your gifts. They were bought by us of course, with your little upcoming adventure in mind. Go ahead and open them!"

"Alright!" Both boys said, and started tearing the wrapper off their larger gift boxes. Inside each was a brand-new backpack. Joey's was green, and John's was bright blue.

"Oh cool!" John said, "It's totally my color!"

Joey was just as happy, "Thanks a ton, mom!" He said, then noticed something. "Ooh, look Hammy! There's a little pocket for you to stay in while we're walking!"

"Tric! Tric!" Hamtric squeaked, happy over the added feature to save it a lot of walking.

Patti smiled. "Glad you like them you two!" She said.

"Yesiree, Patti and I spent all day looking for the right ones." Minerva said also.

The boys set to work on their next gift, the smaller package. Inside, was a brand-new and high-end _PokeCELL! _They were the latest craze among kids and Trainers, made by both the Silph and Devon companies as an improvement over their respective PokeGear and PokeNav devices. It looks like a common cell phone, but sleeker, and silver-ish in color. They can tell time, make calls, surf the web, see a GPS map, take pictures and video, play music via radio and MP3, and numerous other applications.

"Woah! Thanks so much! This is awesome!" both Joey and John said loudly, grinning hugely over recieving such a wonderful gift.

Patti giggled. "Of course, only the best for our little dears. Those should come in real handy!"

"Thanks again mom," Joey said, "Wow, I can't believe I got such an... expensive gift!"

"It doesn't matter, money is no object when buying for you two. Especially considering it's such an important birthday!" Minerva said with a smile.

John was estatic. "Thank you so much mum!" He said, and gave his mom a hug.

"Oh Johnny, that's so sweet of you..." said Minerva. "You know, it reminds me of the time I gave you your first-"

Before she could finish that statement the front door swung open, and everyone turned to gaze at their surprise guest. It was a middle-aged man with grey hair, wearing a white lab coat with a faded fuschia shirt underneath, light brown pants and brown shoes. Joey could hardly believe his eyes. He was in the presence of the famous Pokemon Professor of the far-off Kanto Region, Professor Samuel Oak.

"Oh!" Oak exclaimed when he saw the group was in the middle of a discussion, "I hope I'm not interuptting anything here, I apologize for being a tad late, there was a bit of rough weather on my way here."

Joey and John stared at the famous Professor with their mouths dropped open in surprise, and didn't speak. Patti quickly spoke up though.

"P-Professor! I'm so glad you c-could make it!" She said, happy that a world-renowned Professor of Pokemon could take the time to visit their small town, "The boys have always wanted to meet you, say hello to Mr. Oak!"

"H-Hey Professor... A pleasure to m-meet you." Joey said slowly, humbled to be in the man's presence.

John smiled brightly and waved. "Hello P-Professer! My name's John! I'm a huge fan!"

Oak smiled back and laughed. "Aha, the pleasure is all mine, please. Now, I believe we have some business to attend to."

The Professer walked towards the table they were all at and stood in front of both Joey and John, and both of them couldn't stop fidgeting.

"Wow Professer... I'm actually meeting you right now! This must be a dream..." John said, misty-eyed.

Joey couldn't speak, he simply gazed up in awe at Oak. The creator of the Pokedex, the legendary Professor Oak was standing before him. This kind of thing can't even be imagined in Kanto, much less in the countryside of Soto!

"It is very nice to meet you boys at last. My old mentor Professer Spruce told me all about you two, and your fathers. I... offer my condolences." said Oak.

Joey's thoughts turned to that 'old coot' in Sandhill Town, Professer Spruce. He was known as the teacher of Professer Oak in college, but now he had retired to Soto for peace and quiet. Yet Spruce continues to do loose research on the local Pokemon and such. Some say he's gone senile now, but the last time Spuce and Joey met he left a good impression on him. Spruce was also a friend of both Joey and John's fathers, Jason and Bill.

Joey smiled weakly. "It's okay sir... I'm over it. But thank you anyway."

"Yeah," John said, shrugging, "Me too. Me and my dad didn't really 'click' if you know what I mean."

Oak nodded. "I see. Hmm. Well then, I won't delay any further. On behalf of the Pokemon League of Soto, I present to you both your official Trainer Cards. These will mark you as Pokemon Trainers and give you permission to challenge the Gym Leaders of Soto and other regions, should you wish. I have taken the liberty of placing them in special Trainer Cases, just for you two."

The Professer handed both Joey and John a chrome-plated and wallet-sized case. Inside each was a plastic card with their names etched in it and a picture of them in the corner, almost like an ID card. There was also a foam 'backing' inside the case, with eight depressions of varying shapes in it.

"That," Oak explained, "Is where you keep your obtained badges. The badges are valuable, so keeping them safe is important. Same goes for your Trainer Card. Treat them all with care and don't lose them!"

Both boys nodded in understanding. "Yes sir," they both said.

Hamtric, who had been hiding from Oak from the start inside Joey's new bag, now came out from its hiding place. "Tric!" it squeaked at Oak, unsure of what to make of this stranger.

"Hmm? What's this?" Oak asked, eyeing the electric gerbil intently.

Joey scooped up the Pokemon in his arms, and stroked it. "This is my best friend, Hamtric." Joey explained. "But we sometimes just call him Hammy."

"Hamtric! Tric!" Hamtric cried happily, and licked Joey's face in affection.

Oak smiled. "Well now, Hamtric really likes you!" He said, impressed at their friendship.

"Heheh, yeah, Hamtric's always been there for me. It helped make coping with dad's disapperance easier." Joey said, patting the electric gerbil on its head gently.

"Hmhm... I am aware that Hamtrics make excellent companions, but you, Joey, seem to have to best bonding with one I've seen yet." Oak said, then a thought crossed his mind. "Have you by any chance, gotten to know any other Pokemon around the area?"

"Oh sure," Joey said, "Me and John've made friends with a bunch of the Pokemon in the Little Woods, like Woodling, Squito, Zigzagoon, Sentret, Pidgey, and lots of others."

Oak's eyes widened, "All of them? Both of you? Impressive! You both show a talent for being friends with Pokemon!"

"Umm, if I can ask, how are we that impressive? Aren't a lot of other Trainers like that?" John asked, somewhat confused.

"Hmph, well, unfortunately a lot of people _aren't_ that kind to Pokemon, so seeing you two with such a bond towards Pokemon is a welcome surprise. In fact, some people mistreat and abuse Pokemon. Have you heard of the problems we've had in Kanto and Johto with Team Rocket?"

"Oh yeah," Joey said in realization, "I think that was... Five years ago? Or was it four?"

"About five years, yes. Anyway, I've only known a few select other Trainers to be as remarkable as you. What was his name now... Red, I think, in Kanto five long years ago. And there was also Gold in Johto, Brendan and May in Hoenn, and Dawn and Lucas in Sinnoh, about two years ago. I've had the pleasure of meeting them all you see. In fact it has been some time since I saw Red... I wonder how he's doing... Hmm..."

Oak took a look at his watch. "Oh dear, I simply must be going. I'm going to miss my ferry..."

The Professer hurried to the front door, but before he left he turned back to the group. "I apologize for not being able to stay longer and get to explain a few more things to you two boys better, but I have a ferry to catch."

"Oh that's okay," Patti said, "We all know how busy you can be Professer."

Oak nodded. "Yes, of course. I'll stop by Spruce's Lab in Sandhill for a minute before I leave back to Kanto, and have him arrange to meet you boys tomorrow. He'll explain the details, because right now I have to go, please excuse me. I hope we will meet again!"

"Bye Oak!" "Yes, bye Professor!" "See you later!" everyone said as Oak left out the front door.

Things were awkwardly silent for a moment, until John's mother Minerva broke the ice. "Well, it's not every day a world-renowed Professor vists on your birthday, hmm?"

"Mom," Joey said to Patti, ignoring Minerva's comment, "Why did Oak show up here? Did you...?"

Patti giggled. "That's right, I asked our friend Spruce if he could ask Professor Oak himself to come here for your birthday. It was either him, or some Pokemon League representative, but I know how much you look up to the good Professor. And I even convinced him to get you that snazzy Trainer Case, they don't normally give those out, but when Oak is involved anything's possible!"

"Oh mom..." Joey said, sighing.

Minerva then spoke up, intending to start a new topic. "Oh well, now that all that's out of the way, did I ever tell you about the time I got John his first present? Oh, it was too cute, he was just one at the time so he couldn't really say thanks or anything and yes he tried chewing on it but oh it was so wonderful blah blah blah took lots of pictures blah blah blah I told Patti all about it blah blah blah Jason thought it was hilarious blah blah blah..." And on and on she went.

John and Joey could do nothing but sit and listen. Hamtric couldn't take it, and hid in the backpack once again.

"Ughhh..." John groaned, then whispered to Joey, _"You know my mom, when she starts she can't be stopped..._"

No one said anything, except of course Minerva, until John quietly asked himself,_ "When's the cake...?"

* * *

_

Oak exited the house, and began walking down the main road of Littlebud Town, occasionally passing the odd house (most of which were abandoned).

The old houses weren't what was concerning Oak however. He reached into his lab coat pocket and pulled out a small red device that resembled an old-model PDA with a screen cover. He flipped it open and the device chimed to life, beginning to list down a number of Pokemon species. This was Oak's personal Pokedex, the first one he ever made, and the one he always used and upgraded himself.

Oak scanned through the Pokedex interface and checked it's completion level based on known species of Pokemon. "**CURRENT COMPLETION LEVEL: 649 POKEMON REGISTERED IN DEX / 750 SPECIES KNOWN IN WORLD; 101 UNIQUE SPECIES CONFIRMED IN REGION: SOTO**." The device read.

He frowned. "Hrmph. I'm too busy to scour the Soto region, Spruce is too old and frail, and I can't contact any of the other Pokedex holders... Hmm..." Oak said to himself, contemplating something. "Maybe those boys and their special bond with Pokemon will prove useful... I better talk to Spruce about this..."

Stuffing the Pokedex in his pocket, Oak walked onward, with a new idea set in mind and new plans to be put to action.

* * *

A/N: And there! Surprise cameo appearances FTW! Anyway, Joey and John are now (*drum roll*) officially Pokemon Trainers! Now all they gotta do is sit still long enough while Professor Spruce comes by with their starting instructions, but can they really be that patient? John probably won't. xP So, the new Pokemon shown were Hamtric, the Electric Gerbil/Hamster Pokemon, and Squito (pronounced "Ski - toe"), the Mosquito Pokemon. Mind you, Squito is only mentioned briefly in this chapter and not shown, but it will appear in future chapters as one of this storie's primary Bug-types. Please review and I'll get back to you with Chapter 3!

Fare thee well!

-gl1m0


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